Ali | |
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Directed by | Michael Mann |
Screenplay by |
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Story by | Gregory Allen Howard |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Emmanuel Lubezki |
Edited by |
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Music by | |
Production companies |
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Distributed by |
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Release date |
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Running time | 159 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $107–118 million [1] [2] |
Box office | $87.7 million [1] |
Ali is a 2001 American biographical sports drama film co-written, produced and directed by Michael Mann. The film focuses on ten years in the life of the boxer Muhammad Ali, played by Will Smith, beginning with his capture of the heavyweight title from Sonny Liston in 1964 and ending with his reclaiming the title from George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle fight of 1974.
The project began in 1992 when producer Paul Ardaji optioned the movie rights to Muhammad Ali's life story. In 1992, Ardaji visited Ali on his 50th birthday and persuaded him to allow a film to be made about his life. Nearing the end of his option period, Ardaji signed a contract with Sony Pictures, joining forces with producer Jon Peters as producing partner. In February 2000, it was announced that Mann had taken over as a director, following his Academy Award nomination for The Insider . Filming began in Los Angeles on January 11, 2001, on a $105 million budget, shooting took place in New York City, Chicago, Miami, and Mozambique.
Ali was well received by critics, but was a box-office bomb, grossing just $87 million against a production budget of approximately $118 million. Will Smith and Jon Voight received Academy Award nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, respectively.
Before his championship debut against the heavyweight champion Sonny Liston, Cassius Clay Jr. taunts Liston then dominates the early rounds of the match. Halfway through, he complains of a burning feeling in his eyes (implying that Liston has tried to cheat) and says he is unable to continue. His trainer/manager Angelo Dundee gets him to keep fighting. Once Clay sees again, he dominates the fight and Liston quits before round seven, making Clay the second-youngest heavyweight champion at the time after Floyd Patterson.
Clay spends time with Malcolm X and is invited to the home of Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad, where he is given the name Muhammad Ali, much to the disapproval of his father, Cassius Sr. Ali marries Sonji Roi, an ex-Playboy Bunny, although she is not Muslim and does not abide sex segregation. Ali goes to Africa and meets up with Malcolm X, but later refuses to speak to him, honoring the wishes of Elijah. He is distraught over the assassination of Malcolm X.
Upon returning to America, Ali fights Liston a second time and knocks him out in the first round. He and Sonji divorce after she objects to various obligations Muslim women have. [3]
Ali then refuses conscription for the Vietnam War and is stripped of his boxing license, passport, and title, and sentenced to five years in prison. After marrying 17-year-old Belinda Boyd and a three-year hiatus from boxing, his conviction is overturned in Clay v. United States, and in his comeback fight, he goes against Jerry Quarry and wins by technical knockout in three rounds. Ali attempts to regain the heavyweight championship against Joe Frazier. In the "Fight of the Century", Frazier generally has the upper hand against Ali and wins by decision, the first loss of Ali's career. Frazier later loses the championship to George Foreman.
Foreman and Ali go to Kinshasa, Zaire, for the Rumble in the Jungle fight. There, Ali meets Veronica Porché and has an affair with her. After reading rumors of his infidelity in newspapers, his wife Belinda travels to Zaire to confront him. Ali says he is unsure whether he loves Veronica, but is focused solely on his upcoming title shot.
For a good portion of the fight against Foreman, Ali leans back against the ropes (Rope-a-dope) allowing Foreman to tire himself out. He then knocks out the exhausted Foreman, regaining the Heavyweight Championship.
The project began in 1992 when producer Paul Ardaji optioned the movie rights to Muhammad Ali's life story. In 1992, Ardaji visited Ali on his 50th birthday and persuaded him to allow a film to be made about his life. [4] Nearing the end of his option period, Ardaji signed a contract with Sony Pictures, joining forces with producer Jon Peters as producing partner. Producer Jon Peters started developing the film in 1994. [5] Gregory Allen Howard wrote the initial draft of the script, which had the working title Power and Grace. Howard's draft focused on Ali's life from 12 to 40 years old, and his relationship with his father. [6] Howard was replaced by writers Stephen J. Rivele and Chris Wilkinson, and by 1998 the biopic was set up at Columbia Pictures, with Will Smith attached to star and the possibility of Ron Howard directing. [7] During the filming of Wild Wild West , Smith presented director Barry Sonnenfeld with the script. Columbia was hoping for filming to start towards the end of 1998, [8] but it was pushed back, and Sonnenfeld exited in November 1999. It was speculated that Columbia was hesitant to move forward with Sonnenfeld following the disappointing box office performance of Wild Wild West. [9] In February 2000, it was announced that Michael Mann had taken over as director, following his Academy Award nomination for The Insider . Prior to Mann's involvement, Spike Lee had been in negotiations to direct the film, feeling that only a black man could do justice to Ali's story. [10] Smith, however, preferred Mann, who turned down the opportunity to direct early versions of The Aviator , Shooter and Savages to commit to Ali, [11] and brought Eric Roth on to co-write the script. [12] After years of being attached to the Ali biopic, Smith officially signed on in May 2000 with a $20 million salary. [13]
Filming began in Los Angeles on January 11, 2001, on a $105 million budget. Shooting also took place in New York City, Chicago, Miami and Mozambique. [14]
Smith spent about one year learning about Ali's life. These included boxing training (up to seven hours a day), Islamic studies with Wiljah Akbar, and dialect training. Smith has said that his portrayal of Ali is his proudest work to date.[ citation needed ]
One of the selling points of the film is the realism of the fight scenes. Smith worked alongside boxing promoter Guy Sharpe from SharpeShooter Entertainment, and his lead fighter Ross Kent, to get the majority of his boxing tips for the film. All of the boxers in the film are former or current world heavyweight championship-caliber boxers. It was quickly decided that 'Hollywood fighting'—passing the fist (or foot) between the camera and the face to create the illusion of a hit—would not be used in favor of actual boxing. The only limitation placed upon the fighters was for Charles Shufford (who plays George Foreman). He was permitted to hit Smith as hard as he could, so long as he did not actually knock the actor out.
Smith had to gain weight to look the part of Muhammad Ali. [15]
Ali opened on December 25, 2001, and grossed a total of $14.7 million in 2,446 theaters during its opening weekend. The film went on to gross a total of $87.7 million worldwide. [1]
Due to its high production and marketing costs, the film ended up losing Columbia Pictures as much as $100 million. [2] The film's failure was partly due to its competition with The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring .[ citation needed ]
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Ali holds an approval rating of 68% based on 156 reviews, with an average rating of 6.30/10. The site's critics consensus: "Though perhaps no film could fully do justice to the fascinating life and personality of Muhammad Ali, Mann's direction and Smith's performance combine to pack a solid punch." [16] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [17] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. [18]
Roger Ebert derided the film with two stars in his review for the Chicago Sun-Times , and mentioned, "it lacks much of the flash, fire and humor of Muhammad Ali and is shot more in the tone of a eulogy than a celebration". [19] In Variety magazine, Todd McCarthy wrote, "The director's visual and aural dapplings are strikingly effective at their best, but over the long haul don't represent a satisfactory alternative to in-depth dramatic scenes; one longs, for example, for even one sequence in which Ali and Dundee discuss boxing strategy or assess an opponent", but he did have praise for the performances: "The cast is outstanding, from Smith, who carries the picture with consummate skill, and Voight, who is unrecognizable under all the makeup but nails Cosell's distinctive vocal cadences". [20] USA Today gave the film two and half stars out of four and stated that, "for many Ali fans, the movie may be good enough, but some perspective is in order. The documentaries a.k.a. Cassius Clay and the Oscar-winning When We Were Kings cover a lot of the same ground and are consistently more engaging". [21]
In The New York Times , Elvis Mitchell proclaimed Ali to be a "breakthrough" film for Mann, adding that it was his "first movie with feeling" and that "his overwhelming love of its subject will turn audiences into exuberant, thrilled fight crowds". [22] J. Hoberman, in his review for the Village Voice , felt that the "first half percolates wonderfully—and the first half hour is even better than that. Mann opens with a thrilling montage that, spinning in and out of a nightclub performance by Sam Cooke, contextualizes the hero in his times", and concluded that, "Ali's astonishing personality is skillfully evoked but, in the end, remains a mystery". [23]
When Ali died on June 3, 2016, Smith was chosen to be one of Ali's pallbearers for the memorial service in Louisville.
Ali was released theatrically in 2001 at a length of 157 minutes; this version was released on DVD in 2002. [31] Mann then re-edited the film, creating a new Director's Cut that ran 165 minutes and was released on DVD in 2004; [32] approximately 4 minutes of theatrical footage was removed, while 14 minutes of previously unseen footage was inserted. [33] The Director's Cut also featured an audio commentary by Mann
In 2016 Mann created a third cut, significantly re-editing the film in the wake of Ali's death. He deleted one fight and added scenes and footage focusing on the political side of Ali's life. [34] This version runs 152 minutes and was released in 2017 on Blu-Ray as the Commemorative Edition. [35]
Muhammad Ali was an American professional boxer. Nicknamed "the Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century. Widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, he held the Ring magazine heavyweight title from 1964 to 1970. He was the undisputed champion from 1974 to 1978 and the WBA and Ring heavyweight champion from 1978 to 1979. In 1999, he was named Sportsman of the Century by Sports Illustrated and the Sports Personality of the Century by the BBC.
Charles L. "Sonny" Liston, nicknamed "the Big Bear", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970. A dominant contender of his era, he became the undisputed world heavyweight champion in 1962 after knocking out Floyd Patterson in the first round, repeating the knockout the following year in defense of the title; in the latter fight he also became the inaugural WBC heavyweight champion. Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, Liston is known for his immense strength, formidable jab, long reach, toughness, and is widely regarded as the most intimidating man in the history of combat sports.
George Edward Foreman is an American former professional boxer, entrepreneur, minister, and author. In boxing, he competed between 1967 and 1997 and was nicknamed "Big George". Widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all-time, he is a two-time world heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medalist. As an entrepreneur, he is known for the George Foreman Grill.
Joseph William Frazier, nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1981. Widely regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time, he was known for his strength, durability, formidable left hand, and relentless pressure fighting style and was the first boxer to defeat Muhammad Ali. Frazier won a gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics as an amateur, held the NYSAC heavyweight title from 1968 to 1973, and was the undisputed heavyweight champion from 1970 to 1973.
Rahaman Ali is an American former heavyweight boxer. He is the younger brother of Muhammad Ali.
Angelo Dundee was an American boxing trainer and cornerman. Internationally known for his work with Muhammad Ali (1960–1981), he also worked with 15 other world boxing champions, including Sugar Ray Leonard, Sean Mannion, José Nápoles, George Foreman, George Scott, Jimmy Ellis, Carmen Basilio, Luis Manuel Rodríguez, and Willie Pastrano.
The two fights between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston for boxing's World Heavyweight Championship were among the most controversial fights in the sport's history. Sports Illustrated magazine named their first meeting, the Liston–Clay fight, as the fourth greatest sports moment of the twentieth century.
The Greatest is a 1977 biographical sports film about the life of boxer Muhammad Ali, in which Ali plays himself. It was directed by Tom Gries. The film follows Ali's life from the 1960 Summer Olympics to his regaining the heavyweight crown from George Foreman in their famous "Rumble in the Jungle" fight in 1974. The film consists largely of archival footage of Ali's boxing matches used in the screenplay.
Odessa Lee Clay was the mother of three-time world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali and Rahaman Ali, and the paternal grandmother of Laila Ali. She married Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. in the 1930s and worked for some time as a household domestic to help support her young children. She supported and inspired her son throughout his boxing career and was a ring-side regular at his bouts.
This article covers the boxer Muhammad Ali's appearances in media and popular culture.
Facing Ali is a 2009 documentary directed by Pete McCormack about Muhammad Ali as told from the perspectives of ten opponents he faced during his career: George Chuvalo, Sir Henry Cooper, George Foreman, "Smokin'" Joe Frazier, Larry Holmes, Ron Lyle, Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers, Leon Spinks and Ernie Terrell.
A.k.a. Cassius Clay is a 1970 boxing documentary film about the former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali.
King of the World is an American television film which aired on January 10, 2000, on ABC. It chronicles the early stages of the career of heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali, who is portrayed by Terrence Howard. It is based upon a biography of the same name by David Remnick.
Ali: An American Hero is an American television film which aired on August 31, 2000, on Fox. It chronicles portions of the career of heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali, who is portrayed by David Ramsey.
I Am the Greatest is a comedy album by boxer Cassius Clay, released in August 1963 – six months before he won the world heavyweight championship, publicly announced his conversion to Islam, and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. It was released by CBS Columbia. The album helped establish Ali's reputation as an eloquently poetic "trash talker". The album has also been identified as an early example of rap music and a precursor to hip hop music.
I Am Ali is a 2014 documentary directed by Clare Lewins. It covers the life of professional boxer Muhammad Ali. The film tells his story using personal audio recordings Ali made himself during the 1970s. Additionally, interviews of friends, family members, and people associated with professional boxing, combined with archival footage of Ali, are used throughout the movie. Notable appearances in the film include George Foreman, Jim Brown, and Mike Tyson.
Cassius Clay vs. Doug Jones was a professional boxing match contested on March 13, 1963. Clay won on points in what would prove to be one of the closest fights of his early professional career. The fight was named 1963's Fight of the Year by The Ring.
Cassius Clay vs. Donnie Fleeman was a professional boxing match contested on February 21, 1961. Clay won the bout through a technical knockout after the referee stopped the fight in the seventh round. This was the first time Clay had gone over six rounds in a boxing match. It was also the first time Fleeman had ever been knocked down in a boxing match. Fleeman retired from boxing after this fight.
Paul W. Ardaji is an American film producer, former international advertising and marketing executive, and restaurateur. Ardaji is particularly notable for his role as producer during the early stages of production for the award-winning American film Ali (2001), which focused on the life of boxer Muhammad Ali.
Muhammad Ali was a boxer who mastered the rope-a-dope fighting technique. He is widely regarded by many boxing commentators and historians as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time. Boxing magazine The Ring named him number one in a 1998 ranking of greatest heavyweights from all eras. In 1999, The Associated Press voted Ali the number one heavyweight of the 20th century.